Rando Design Inspiration Friday

Too much rain makes me sad inside so I'm in need of some sunshine in the form of great interior design! Am I the only one? I think not.

I adore this sweet little attic guest room by Suzanne Kasler. So crisp and clean without looking uninviting. How lovely is yellow and white--the shades are Michael Devine Home, who has the greatest fabric collection HERE!

Mary McDonald's rooms are always a treat. Love everything here minus the mirrored coffee table. LOATHE mirrored furniture.

When I own my own country cottage, I'd like to have a library sitting room like this one with antlers, books, gorgeous throw pillows, and lovely art prints. By Markham Roberts.

I found this incredible designer Grant White on The Daily Bed (thanks Raina!). I'm in love with this color palette, but more importantly the gallery wall of prints with the one round one in the middle.

I think this home really defines my personal style. NO NO JUST KIDDING. This is from Real Housewives of NJ. OY.

Have a great weekend, all! Any great plans? For the first time in a while I'll be staying in NYC.


Alicia B.

Cameron's House from Ferris Bueller's Day Off

You guys are going to have to fight me for this one because Cameron's house from Ferris Bueller's Day Off is on the market in Highland Park, IL. Granted it's on the market for $2.3 Mil but I've been so good and hunkering down during the recession so I think I can splurge at this point. Right? HERE is the listing (and where all the pics come from) on realtor.com.

The ever so famous garage where Cameron drove through the back window with his father's Ferrari. I guess they fixed the window.

The house was designed by A. James Speyer and David Haid in 1953. The large floor to ceiling windows are amazing and really capture the view of the surrounding woods.

Sleek white kitchen.

Open floor plan with the fireplace in the middle. This house is about 5300 square feet. Not too shabby.

I notice the exposed wooden slats for the ceiling that seem to be throughout the home.

I guess the Ferrari isn't included with the house, or the three car garage. All in all, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a total of eight rooms and is all on one floor.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off is one of my favorite movies of all time. I think we should all take a page from Ferris's book and have a little fun sometimes. As he ever so wisely says, "A person should not believe in an "-ism," he should believe in himself. I quote John Lennon, "I don't believe in Beatles, I just believe in me." Oh wait, wrong quote. Here it is: "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."


Alicia B.

Swedish Modern Chair Makeover

I'm full of many projects lately and I am really enjoying them. This is a Swedish Modern chair that (below) belonged to my father; he got it back in the 70's which is quite apparent when you look at it. Well, now it's mine and I decided that the yucky tan vinyl had to go. Good choice, yes?

Sad deflated chair.

It really does have a beautiful frame.

Here it is completed! I had it reupholstered in European Cream Linen from Fabric.com. I think it looks clean and comfortable. Last night I sewed a little throw pillow from extra fabric left over from my love seat from Roger Arlington which is unfortunately no longer around. I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty pleased. My apartment is still coming together piece by piece even after a few months but it's still fun!

Alicia B.

Foyer Wardrobe Makeover: Complete!

Finally I have completed my wardrobe makeover! After sanding, wood filler-ing, priming, painting, and decorating this wardrobe that used to house my baby clothes, it is finally complete and looks wonderful!

Here I am (okay fine it's Britney's face--thanks Ash.) modeling the wardrobe in my foyer for you. This is how it looked when I started.

It was in quite a state when we (thanks to my parents and friend Sarah) hauled it up 2 flights of stairs but it still had some beautiful detailing.

I repainted it and put some adorable wallpaper from Farrow and Ball in as drawer liner!

There was a key hole so I found and antique and got this gorgeous key tassel from Pindler in butter cream which I thought looked very beautiful against the pale blue that I had chosen for the wardrobe.

Since I don't have much space but I wanted to put one other element in the foyer, I found this perfect "ashtray stand" at an estate sale over the weekend and am using it as a plant stand. Don't ask me how Piglet got under the wardrobe but I have a sneaking suspicion that Lucrezia had something (everything) to do with it.

Here is the top of the wardrobe: three of my fave design books stacked with a pair of brass candlesticks, white enamel pitcher, spider plant and etched brass bowl filled with antique keys and a mirror LEANED against the wall.

And here it is! Not an amazing picture because it's a shallow space but I'm quite pleased with the results. I worked hard and had a lot of fun doing it. Nothing like doing all the work yourself (even though the bf did the wood filler part) to make a project feel very fulfilling. This wardrobe houses all my collected fabrics for projects, old drafting projects, and other design things that I need.

Alicia B.

In the Conservatory with a watering can...

I'm really into the idea of a conservatory of late; a quiet glassed-in sunroom to grow your plants. When I went home over the weekend, my parents were thinking about one as their latest project/yard time-sucker. They've all but abandoned my dreams them having a swimming pool but I'm still hanging on. I think the idea of a really sweet conservatory is a great one, though. A quiet sanctuary for your plants, to relax with a book while the sun is shining in on you.

This Edwardian style conservatory is by Parish Conservatories. I'd love to have a brick cottage with a little conservatory off the side. Just lovely.

This is from Nancy McCabe's garden which was on the Trade Secrets Garden Tour. Hers was a beautiful rustic style garden with many Spanish influences.

Bunny Williams had a very classic one off of her guest cottage with much architectural detailing and a large sideboard in it to accommodate her large potted plants. I love the repeating arches.

This is from Renaissance Conservatories, a company that specializes in custom conservatories. I like this round one with the clerestory windows on top.

This very classic one is also nice. It's more of a sunroom though than a room for your plants etc. I love the architectural detailing though. Also from Renaissance Conservatories.
This one is NOT QUITE my style (at all) as those windows are NOT ATTRACTIVE, but I love the floor. It looks like the conservatory from the board game Clue! Right? How badly do you want to play Clue right now?

I'm really embracing gardening and plants lately and this conservatory is the perfect mix of interior design and gardening. There are so many different styles you could go with and many fun garden accessories to add. Garden urns, exotic plants, amazing architecture, the possibilities are growing!


Alicia B.

Rando Design Inspiration Friday

This week flew by in a flash! I realize I only posted a few times and for that I apologize but I can only do so much. This weekend is Memorial Day and cross your fingers that I get out of work early! Here are some images that are making me smile.

In honor of Memorial Day, here is a patriotic photo that I took of the Brooklyn Bridge.
Brooklyn Bridge, USA.

This boudoir by Jackson/Aaron looks so sunlit-lovely. I'd love to lie down there with a good book...and a kitty.

I found this designer, Emma Jane Pilkington, in Traditional Homes 20 Young Designers to watch and I'm molto impressed. This painted bed is incredibly beautiful...I'm in awe.

April Tidey, who was on Apartment Therapy yesterday, has such a fun aesthetic mixing modern with traditional. Love the white walls, ceiling and floors in this cottage.

What are your plans this weekend? As usual I'm heading up to the country for some r and r with my parents and then am joined by the beau Saturday evening! I absolutely cannot wait until the Memorial Day Parade (it's my favorite part). There is nothing like a parade in a small town. Have a great 3-day weekend!

Alicia B.

Micheal Trapp is a genius

The other more amazing, and quite fantastical garden tour was that of Michael Trapp. He had a garden and the most surprising garden/interiors shop I'd ever seen full of ancient artifacts, dinosaur bones, Italian pottery, fossils, etc.

In this shed that he had out in the back and down some steps, there was a collection of eggs, and some really cute nests.

I felt like I was in a cave here. This little building, also out back, had Spanish Moss hanging from the ceiling and white coral and shells everywhere.

Ironwork piece among fossils/bones.

YIKES I love mini models of buildings and these Greek Temples had to be photographed.

Mirror image of a huge Italian pottery vessel.

Isn't this chest amazing?? More dinosaur/ancient animal bones are on top of it. I think you know how I fee about that HUGE green jug. Can't breathe.

Pretty sconce that I spotted in the window.

This shot doesn't exactly capture the amazingness that was EVERY SINGLE room of this shop/house, but I tried.

You have got to take a look at his website HERE. If you're ever in the area of West Cornwall CT, (don't lie, you're there all the time) you must visit this store. You have to cross a covered bridge to get there which is enough to get me to visit any town even if it's population is 400.

Alicia B.

Bunny Williams Trade Secrets Garden Tour

The incredibly gracious host, Bunny Williams.

Over the weekend I had the IMMENSE pleasure of helping out at the Trade Secrets Event in Sharon CT. As an added bonus, I took all the garden tours offered over that weekend and my absolute favorite one was Bunny Williams. I've always loved her but my love has been re-ignited since her masterpiece at Kips Bay and it continues to...burn...even brighter since the weekend. Look how sweet she is!

The tour started at her famed Greek temple styled pool cabana. It's not your typical CT style Greek Temple though, she used bark, and pine cones so that it feels like a woodland creation.

She had a lovely and relaxed scene set with coffee tables and lots of seating looking out onto her gorgeous yet simple rectangular pool, and the rest of her property.

I DIED when I saw the chicken wire on the cabinets in her small kitchen in the pool house. The color those dishes add is so beautiful. A treat to the eye.

Obvi Bunny has a huge compost. Not just your every day run of the mill compost though--look at the sticks lining the sides arranged very artfully.

The entrance to the guest house was this amazing conservatory with plants galore and a farmhouse table in the center.

I fell in LOVE with this cabinet with so many drawers/compartments. This is in her guest house, which we had the pleasure of touring as well. Love the rooster, too. So charming.

Of course, she has a grocery list casually placed on top of some cookbooks and magazines for when guests come--she must be prepared! Yeah, I photographed her list--what of it?

A comfortable, relaxed and attractive place to kick back with one of the many classics she has in her bookcases. See the next pic.

I wish I had more bookcases so that I could do this (above).

Full bar. That's all.

One of my fave parts of this incredible tour was this area she seemed to be working on with 7 or 8 different bird houses. This one was my favorite because it looks like a old abandoned mansion. The bird houses which I've seen lots of may become a new trend. I'm just going to say it now.

The aspect that I loved the most, design wise, was that Bunny had a lot of stuff. Objects. I have SO many objects, things I've collected, and things that I treasure and everything looked great but not neurotically organized. It looked like she was okay with all her books being out of order, or not all the same height. Not all the soaps in her dishes in the bathrooms were the same color! She's been tagged as someone who has mastered "organized clutter," and while that is true, I don't know if it looks all that organized, all the time. It felt less calculated, and more lived in but not in a messy way. Thoughts? I know some people don't care for her...personally I adore her.

Alicia B.